Japanese mascots - have you ever been a mascot? - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

GirlySports · 08-21-2010, 07:59 PM

Japanese TV aired this hard-hitting investigative report about Japan’s various police mascots:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xeg...mascots_webcam

Their research team contacted police offices across the nation and determined that there are at least 42 different police mascot characters in Japan. Some of the police mascots are national, some are prefectural, and a few are for city/town police forces.
What exactly is the point of having cops dress up in weird mascot costumes? Here is a ranking of the top issues they try to spread awareness about:

Bank Transfer Fraud
Traffic Safety
General Crime Prevention
Pickpocketing
Purse Snatching

It might seem pretty stupid to have police officers assigned to mascot duty, but those wacky costumes can be pretty useful whenever the police want to distribute fliers. A mascot draws everyone’s attention, and people who would otherwise ignore police officers seem more willing to approach them when a mascot is around. Even if people throw away the fliers without reading them, there is a chance that they will still remember encountering the mascots, many of whom have names that are puns based on the message they are trying to promote.
Issues 2 to 5 are focused at children and the general public, but the #1 issue is targeted at elderly people. For years now, telephone fraudsters claiming to be relatives in distress have scammed many elderly people into sending them large sums of money. Many ATM’s in Japan now have posters featuring mascot characters that warn users about scams, and several police forces have been sending their mascots to post offices and banks to spread awareness among the elderly.

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So we don't have enough mascots here in Calgary. Anyone ever been a mascot for anything? What was it like?

JiriHrdina · 08-21-2010, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GirlySports

So we don't have enough mascots here in Calgary. Anyone ever been a mascot for anything? What was it like?

Worst thing about it is spending a few hours in a costume worn in (and sweated in) by countless other people, and that has never been properly cleaned.

Smelly, hot and uncomfortable.

I can see how it would be fun though if you had your own costume that you could properly look after.

MRCboicgy · 08-21-2010, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Worst thing about it is spending a few hours in a costume worn in (and sweated in) by countless other people, and that has never been properly cleaned.

Smelly, hot and uncomfortable.

I can see how it would be fun though if you had your own costume that you could properly look after.

Then you'd be a furry

HOZ · 08-21-2010, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Worst thing about it is spending a few hours in a costume worn in (and sweated in) by countless other people, and that has never been properly cleaned.

Smelly, hot and uncomfortable.

I can see how it would be fun though if you had your own costume that you could properly look after.

How would you clean the massive head? Soaking and scrubbing in a bathtub?

GirlySports · 08-21-2010, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Worst thing about it is spending a few hours in a costume worn in (and sweated in) by countless other people, and that has never been properly cleaned.

Smelly, hot and uncomfortable.

I can see how it would be fun though if you had your own costume that you could properly look after.

What were you a mascot for? Was it corporate related?

JiriHrdina · 08-21-2010, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HOZ

How would you clean the massive head? Soaking and scrubbing in a bathtub?

No idea - though the head wasn't actually the worst - the body part was the worst, because that's where all the sweat is.

Wearing the head was kinda gross and afterwards I probably washed my hair for the longest ever in my life.

But it was tolerable.

JiriHrdina · 08-21-2010, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GirlySports

What were you a mascot for? Was it corporate related?

Yeah a corporate event thing with kids involved. The mascot costume I wore was rented and wasn't even a well known character or anything - it was some purple dinosaur that seemed like an "unlicensed Barney crossed with Dino" thingy.

GGG · 08-21-2010, 08:18 PM

I was Bo the champion steer when I worked at Bonanza Restaurant. It was hot but it got me out of the dish pit. The worst was waving at cars on hot days outside. But inside it wasn't bad.

The funniest comment I got was one 12 year old saying that he would make me a steer.

Slava · 08-21-2010, 09:21 PM

I was a mascot once for a job I briefly held as a teenager. I thought it was pretty good compared to other jobs I held around those years. I actually had a friend of mine who walked around with me and we took turns between being the guide and being the mascot. Not surprisingly, being teenaged boys, our goal was to go and hug as many good looking girls as possible. Great job when you think of it like that!

awildermode · 08-21-2010, 09:23 PM

i wanted to be a mascot when i was little. my dream job was to be Pinocchio at Disneyland. i almost tried out for the mascot for a local pro team.

i wore these for my graduation ceremony:

CaptainCrunch · 08-21-2010, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slava

I was a mascot once for a job I briefly held as a teenager. I thought it was pretty good compared to other jobs I held around those years. I actually had a friend of mine who walked around with me and we took turns between being the guide and being the mascot. Not surprisingly, being teenaged boys, our goal was to go and hug as many good looking girls as possible. Great job when you think of it like that!

ewwwwww, I can feel them moving.

Bertuzzied · 08-21-2010, 10:16 PM

When i worked at Disney world, if they caught you taking a picture of a character with his head off back stage you were fired instantly on the spot.

GirlySports · 08-21-2010, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

When i worked at Disney world, if they caught you taking a picture of a character with his head off back stage you were fired instantly on the spot.

But you could still hug girls?

afc wimbledon · 08-21-2010, 11:49 PM

My mate was the Beaver Lumber beaver for a while, before Rona/Revelstoke bought them out, a kid freaked out and kicked him right where a beaver doesn't want to get kicked, if you know what I mean!

Julio · 08-21-2010, 11:55 PM

Did a couple of mascot stints, as I was the U of S mascot, and was Wabash a few times as a fill in at appearances (never during a game though).

The Goon · 08-22-2010, 07:15 AM

One summer job I worked for Loblaws (larger company that owns Superstore). I went to an Argos/Green Roughriders game at SkyDome dressed as Zeddy, the teddy. Lost about five pounds in water in a couple of hours, and took a lot of abuse.

albertGQ · 08-22-2010, 08:47 AM

I was the rat at Chuck E Cheese for a couple shifts when I was a teenager

Ducay · 08-22-2010, 11:09 AM

In my early teens I was 'Simon the Safety Bear', Calgary Police's mascot.

Pay was absolute garbage (like $6/hour), but I got to do some sweet events (skate with Flames, Stampede Parade).

That said, ~$30 paycheques was not worth the effort, sweating, and abuse. At least I was with an officer at all times, so the amount of shin kicking I recieved was mnimal.

GirlySports · 08-22-2010, 11:27 AM

Who the heck abuses mascots? They're CUTE!
What's wrong with people!?

Locke · 08-22-2010, 12:26 PM

When I worked at Greyhound I broke open the A&W costume and loaded a bus as the A&W Bear. Unlicensed, of course.

That ass-waddle hes got going on is built into the suit. Trust me.